Adding a dish motor to HUmax / quattro LNB / 5/8 Multiswitch setup

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dagbaruch

New Member
My Satellite Setup
Humax box, 5/8 Multiswitch, Quattro LNB. I want to motorise the dish, but cannot find connection instructions
My Location
Normandy, France
I want to add a dish motor to my above setup. At present it is focussed on Astra 28.2, and I need to access Astra 19.2. The Motors I have seen all require an LNB feed from the system, but how do I achieve this? I have setup many systems, and have a digital dish setup meter.
 
Hi dagbaruch and welcome to the forum, there are many threads available explaining how to setup a motorised system, start here

Dish Setup Guides, Information threads and FAQs

Satellite TV guides & tutorials on setting up your dish, or troubleshooting an installation? Look here first.
www.satellites.co.uk www.satellites.co.uk
 
Do you need 19.2E to be available on all outputs of the switch? If so a new switch may be needed. What is the model # of your current switch?
 
Exactly which Humax box do you have?
 
Yes, all outputs to have both satellites signals available; that is why I wish to motorise the dish. The Multiswitch is a GLOBO PMS-5x8. The main reason for the motor is to find a satellite which broadcasts the MotoGP for 2021, as Quest on Freesat does not seem to have this for this year.
 
The Humax box is a Foxsat HDR with a 1 Gb drive fed with 2 sat inputs from the above multiswitch
 
If you just want 19.2E you don't need to motorise the dish, you can add a second LNB to the existing dish. You'd then need a multiswitch with 9 inputs (2x satellite + terrestrial).
 
It would be cheaper to buy a motor, than use another dish and LNB. I live in Lower Normandy, France, and use an 80cm dish, If I add another lnb, plus brackertry and possibly a larger dish, this is getting more expensive.
 
I have looked through the forums, and so far have not found what you suggest.

And there are many other relevant Threads within that same Freesat sub-Forum.
 
the following:-

Secret menu on Humax Freesat box. For DiSEqC & USALS​

does not work. I assume that I would have to start tuning from scratch
 
dagbaruch said:
It would be cheaper to buy a motor, than use another dish and LNB. I live in Lower Normandy, France, and use an 80cm dish, If I add another lnb, plus brackertry and possibly a larger dish, this is getting more expensive.
Click to expand...
You don't need a larger or second dish. You can add a simple bracket to the existing dish in order to mount the 19.2E LNB.

If using a motor you may also need new mounting brackets to ensure the pole is plumb. I don't think your switch would pass the DiSEqC signal + power needed to move the motor.

You would also have to use your Humax in non-Freesat mode, you will lose the 28.2E 7-day EPG.
 
dagbaruch said:
The Motors I have seen all require an LNB feed from the system, but how do I achieve this?
Click to expand...

Welcome to the forum, dagbaruch!
So the question is about the combination of motor and multiswitch?

There are two possible setups for your cabling: serial, or parallel.

Serial would be: motor between the motor-controling receiver and the multiswitch. This usually means 2 extra cables (back and forth) between multiswitch and dish setup. (Impedance-wise a clean setup.)

Parallel would be: a splitter/tap between the motor-controling receiver and the multiswitch. The main input of the splitter to the MS, the tap-'input' to the motor. So only one extra cable needed to the motor (second connection on the motor can stay open, or a DC-blocking terminating resistor at it).
Special care is needed to choose the splitter/tap. A UniTap by Spaun would be a good tap, the best solution I would say. I myself use a simple splitter for a setup like this, but it should have power pass in both directions, or at least in the right direction (but these are rare!). A simple T-piece is also possible, but impedance-wise not a good solution.

All this assumes only one receiver having motor-control.
When you want two receivers having motor control (but not at the same time, of course), that is only possible (AFAIK) in the parallel way, and you'd need an extra tap/splitter, and a satellite (smart) priority switch.

Does this make things clearer?

Greetz,
A33

Edit. I assume you realize that when your motor/dish is aimed at the one satellite, the other satellite cannot be received....
 
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OK, so motorising the dish is not going to work.

I'll have to cost up another quattro LNB, bracketry, and a 9/8 multiswitch to achieve both Astra satellites.

If only Quest TV had MotoGP again this year. So far we have managed, but as BT now has the main rights, or Canal+ here in France, it will be difficult which ever solution I choose.

Thank you all for assistance. I will now close this post.
 
dagbaruch said:
The following link does not work:-

http://www.satellites.co.uk/satellite/freesat/140319-can-humax-foxsat-work-motorised-dish.html
Click to expand...
That's not the link that Lazarus posted. This is:

Secret menu on Humax Freesat box. For DiSEqC & USALS

To access the hidden menu for diseqc settings and usals Press Menu Setup Freesat tune then press Red Button Green Button Yellow Button Blue Button Green Button Yellow Button Blue Button Then the Antenna settings option should appear. and then you can access the Antenna Settings part of the...
www.satellites.co.uk www.satellites.co.uk
 
Some multiswitches allow the use of cheaper quad LNBs. If you are only supplying two receivers (with no terrestrial) you may not need a multiswich at all. Two quad LNBs and four cheap DiSEqC 1.0 switches should work.

edit: I'm not sure if DiSEqC on Humax boxes is sent to both inputs in non-freesat mode.
 
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dagbaruch said:
OK, so motorising the dish is not going to work.
Click to expand...

Huh?
I described how it can be done.

It might not be the solution for what you want, but motorizing a dish in a multiswitch setup is not really a problem.

So what is the reason that it "is not going to work" for you?

A33.
 
dagbaruch said:
The following link does not work:-

http://www.satellites.co.uk/satellite/freesat/140319-can-humax-foxsat-work-motorised-dish.html
Click to expand...

But this one is:

Can a Humax Foxsat work a motorised dish?

Hi New to this stuff, having recently bought a Humax. Having discovered this site and the capabilities of a sat system I would like to get a motorised dish. Can a Foxsat-HD work a motorised dish and receive non-Freesat programmes, or would I require another receiver? Thanks
www.satellites.co.uk www.satellites.co.uk

Greetz,
A33
 
Several ways of getting another sat to all rooms, motorising is possibly going to cause conflicts when different viewers require different satellites at the same time. May be better to obtain a 9 in 8 out multiswitch and offset a secondary quattro LNB. If you only require Astra 19.2 in a couple of locations, then a quad LNB offset for 19.2 and a 2 way DiSEqC switch on each required feed.
 
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